Electro-magnetic time-lock



3 K C m G D. E s

l' I l ELECTRO MAGNETIC TIME LOCK. No.. 347,069.

Patented Aug. 10, 1886.l

N. Pneus.. Phnwumogm'rmer. washing u c.

(No Model.) 3 sheets-'sheet 3.

F. SBDC-WICK.

'ELECTRO MAGNETIC TIMBLOGK.

1\I0.,,1t7,o69.l Patented Aug, 10, 1886.

UNITEDA STATES PATENT OEEICEQ FREDERICK zsnnewicir,

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ELEGTRO=MAGNETIC TIME-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Lettera Patent No. 347,069, dated August10,1886. l

Application tiled January 31, 1885.` Serial No. 154,514. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FREDERICK SEDGWICK, of Chicago, in the county ofCook and State of Illinois, late of-Cincinnati, Oh`io,have inventedcertain new andV useful Improvements in Electro-Magnetic Time-Locks, ofwhich'the following is a description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, in which- Fi gu rel isafront View of anelectromagnetic permutation-lock with the plate removed, together with adialplate for operating the rsame and a timer connected therewith forcontrolling or preventing the action of the electrical cur rent upon themagnets during a predetermined time. Fig. 2 shows the application ofsaid time-lock to an ordinary safe, and Fig. 3 is a detail View showingsaid timer and a portionv of said lock, the same being a modificationof' the construction shown in the other figures.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts in the different figures.

The object of my invention is to so combine a chronometer or anysuitable time-piece with an electro-magnetic permutation-lock that theelectrical current may be broken or switched upon ashorter circuitduringa predetermined period, so as to prevent during said period themanipulation of the tumblers from without the safe by one familiar withthe combination, said invention having special reference to myiinprovedelectro-magnetic combinationlock for which application forLetters Patent was filed by me on the 20th day of August, A. D. 1884. t

In the drawings, A represents the case of the lock,which may beconstructed of brass or other suitable material in the usual manner.

B, C, D, and E are a series of electromagnets, arranged and securedwithin said case, the opposite poles of which are represented by B', C',D', and E', said magnets being provided with pole-extensions b c d c andb' c d e', respectively, the inner ends of v,which are arrangedconcentrically to the aXis ofthe tumblers, one of which (thedriving-tumbler) is provided on-,its front face with an annulargear-wheel, F, Fig. l, rigidly secured thereto, the remaining tumblersbeing placed back of said wheel F, and do notappear in either of saidigures.

G, Fig. 1, is a revolving armature having its yaxis upon the same shaftwhich supports saidtumblers, one end of the same having its 'bearing inthe cross-bar I-I, which is made of brass or insulated from the magnetsto which it is attached. A small pinion (shown in dotted lines beneaththe bar H) is rigidly attached to the axis of the armature, and engagesan intermediate gear, I, which in turn meshes into the wheel F, theformer having its bearing upon a wrist -pin secured to a crank-armloosely attached to the axis of the armature. An extension, J, of saidpin is adapted to engage with a notch in a movable angle-bar, which ispivoted at j, and a portion of which forms the usual fence/7 which fallsinto the tumbler-notches when the latter are in line. So long as saidfence is `raised by the displacement or non-alignment of thetumbler-not'ches the pin .I is retained within the notch of saidangle-bar, and the wheel I, being revolved by a pinion upon thearmature, causes the wheel F to rotate, thus actuating the tumblers; butsimultaneously with the locking of the latter by the falling of thefence the pin J is released and the wheel F becomes 'a fulcrum, againstwhich the teeth of the wheel I bear, and thelatter is caused to revolve,mov ing the crank and pin J with it, which latter, operating in a slotin the boltbar K, serves to retract the bolt K. Upon one side oftheloclccase I attach a plate, L, of vulcanite or other insulatingmaterial, to which are secured binding-posts b" c`l d e?, to formconnections for the helix-wires b c3 d c. The opposite ends or terminiof said wires b" c d c, respectively, instead of being connecteddirectly with the lock-case, as described in said application abovenamed, are preferably bunched, as at m, Fig. '1,and connected with abindingpost, m', secured to an insulati 11g-plate, M, attached tosaidcase.

Connecting with the binding-posts b2 c2 d2 e2 are insulated wires b5 c5d5 c5, leading through the door N, Fig. 2, of the safe, and connecting,preferably through binding-posts b c d e, with a series of segmentalblocks attached to au insulating-plate, O, separated from each other,and arranged conccntrically to the axis of the dial 'P thereon, saiddial being provided with a movable metallic hand, connected With acircuit-wire, Q, which in turn is con- IOS) nccted by means of thebinding-post g, Fig. l, l

segmental blocks, provided the termini 1)* c* d cl of said wires areconnected with the lock1 case A, all of which, except the bunching et'the wires L* c* d* c, as above stated, is more fuily and minutelydescribed and shown in my application for Leiters laient hereinbeforementioned.

Separated from the lock. A, and preferably hung in any convenient placewithin the safe, away from the walls thereof, as shown in Fig. 2, so asnot to be affected by blows or concussions againstsaid walls, I providea time-piece,

t, which may consist of any simple wellknown train of wheel-work, butpreferably having the arbor or winding-post r inthe een ter, said postbeing provided with a suitable spring (not shown in the drawings) foractuating said train. A. suitable escapcment, S, Fig. I3, is likewiseproif'ided for regulating said movement. Upon said time-piece is a dial,which is preferably divided into forty-eight hour-spaces, as clearlyshown in Figs. l and 3. Outside of said dial is attached an annular diskor ring, T, of brass or other metahwhich is insulated from the metal ofsaid time-piece. Said ring is perforated with a series of holes, I, ofany desired number, correspomling with the hours and fractions of hours,either or both, indicated upon said dial. A deiachable metallic pin, i.adapted to fit said holes, is likewise provided, for the purposeshereinafter shown.

Rigidly attached to the winding-post 1' is a hand, U, which, whenactuated bythe spring,

. is caused to turn in the direction indicated by the arrow. Theopposite end ol' said hand from that which indicates the figures uponthe dial is extended over the ring T, but separated suflicientlytherefrom as to be in no danger of contact therewith. A spring, 'L`',the normal position of which is indicated in Figs. l and 3, ispermanently secured to said hand. An extension of said case, as at R',Figs. land 3, is constructed of wood, vulcanite, or other non-conductingmaterial,to which is attached, by means of al binding-post, q', ametallic arm, V, adjacent to which and standing substaniially paralleltherewith is a spring, V', rigidly attached to said case or arm, butseparated from the latter by an insulating-block, c. Upon the upper endof said arm V,and in a corresponding position upon the spring V, arecontact-points in the i'orm of lugs or pro- `iections U fri, preferablymade of platinum, and adapted to form an electrical contact with eachother. Said spring V is extended up between the ring 'lly and the dial,but so adjusted as to be free to act without being brought into actualcontact with either, the normal position of said spring being such thatthe contactpoints e ci are separated from each other. Said spring isconnected by a wire, o3, to a binding-post, m', which post is likewiseconnected by a second wire, o, to the ring R.' A wire, q, also connectsthe binding-post q' with the arbor lr or hand U, as may be desired. Thebinding-posts m and m are connected by a wire, in, while the post g isconnected with the case A by means of a wire, qi, one end of which isattached to said case by a bindingpost, qs. The hand U is provided withan insulated-pin or stud, u, rigidly attached thereto and adapted toengage with the spring Y. Thus it is obvious that in order to obtain acurrent through any of the magnets l (l Il) E it is essential that it becompleted through said time-piece it, which may be accomplished underthe following conditions, viz: Assuming the pin 1. to be placed in theperforation in the ring R opposite Fig. 8U, thehand U will then pointto19,while the springt will be under tension and in metallic contact withthe pin t. So long as said contact is maintained (which need be but amoment or two, for the purposes hereinafter explained) the current ismade from the lock mechanism through wire t, pin l', spring t, arborr,wires q and q, back to the lock-case, and thence to the circuit-wire Q,which connects with a, suitable battery, Q. As soon as the spring I,"lceases its Contact with the pin t by reason of the movement of the handU, said circuit is broken and cannot be again made until said time-pieceshall have run down, which under the conditions assumed would requiretwelve hours, at the end of which time the pin a will have engaged thespri ng'V, bending the latter sufficiently to produce a contact of thepoints o In, the tensionof the arbor-spring upon the arbor serving toretain said points in contact untilV the timer is again wound. Thilo thepoints e o are in contact the circuit is again closed, the same passingfrom the wire in? over o, through the spring V and arm 'V to the wireff, and thence stated.

From the foregoing it is apparent that the magnets within said lockcannot be excited, and hence said lock mechanism cannot be manipulatedso long as said circuit remains broken, the reverse being true while thepin l and spring if or the stud u and spring are in contact. Thus whenthc safe is closed the pin t and spring 'L2 remain in contact asufficient length ot' time, thereby closing said circuit, to enable thesafe to be locked from without by means of the dial F, after which allcontrol over said lock mechanism from without is prevented until saidtimer shall have run down, when the contact of the stu d i( and spri ngY again enables the electrical circuit to be formed through all themagnets, whereby sai d lock mechanism may be againoperated. The lengthof time during which said circuit may be broken, and the lock mechanismthus rendered inoperative, maybe varied at will, by moving the pin I.and placing it in different holes in the ring R.

A modification of saidinvention is shown in Fig. 3. Instead of bunchingand insulating IOO spring t2, pin t', and wires e* and q* may bedispensed with. By said modified construction it will be seen that thecircuit is closed between the arm V and spring V at all times, exceptwhen the stud a is in contact with'the springV V', when said circuit isbroken, and the electrical current, instead of passing through themagnet E, is short-circuited over the wires e6 q2. YVhile this serves toprevent any regular and syst-ematic manipulation of the lock mechanismso as to operate the combination, the action of the remaining magnets issufficient to revolve the ,armature G in one direction, in that itsmomentum serves to carry it past the poles of the magnet which is cutout of circuit, thus serving to throw the bolt K when the safe isclosed. Vhen the time-piece runs down,thepressure ofthestudu uponthespring V breaks said short circuit, thus making theA circuit throughthe magnet previously cut out, when said combination may be manipulated.

I do not confine myself to the use of the particular time-piece abovedescribed, as it is manifest that any mechanism adapted to serve thepurposes of a time-piece may be readily applied 'to such use.

The device described in my application for Letters Patent for electromagnetic mechanism for time-locks,7 iiled April 23, 1883,

may, with slight modification, serve equallyl Well to make and break orshorten said electrical circuit during a predetermined time, the latterof which methods-viz., lthe shortening of said circuit, one means ofeffecting which is shown in the modification above described-I regard asthe equivalent of the former.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. A time-lock consisting of a permutationlock provided with a series ofelectro-magnets arrangedtherein, suitable electrical connections fromwithout, and a' battery-cup, whereby said magnets may be excited inregular order from without the safe, an armature for imparting motion tothe lock-tumblers, and a suitable time-piece interposed within saidelectrical circuit, having a hand or other equivalent device withcontact-points for automatically making-and breaking said circuit,substantially in the manner and for the purposes set forth.

2. An electric time-lock consisting of .the combination, withapermut-ation or combination lock, of a series of electro-magnetsarranged therein having suitable electrical connections from without, abattery cup, and switching device, whereby said magnets may be excitedfrom without the'safe, an armature actuated thereby for imparting motionto said lock, and a time mechanism in the safe, interposed in saidelectrical circuit, (which is normall y broken,) provided withmeans, asa hand and springs having contactpoints, for abnormally making saidcircuit, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

3. A' time-lock consisting of a time-piece Within the safe, interposedin the electrical circuit, which is normally broken, with theelectro-magnets of a permutation -lock, and provided with a rotatinghand havinga spring thereon adjusted to form a temporary or resilientelectrical contact with the circuit-wire or its connection when thetimepiece is wound, and an insulated stud adj usted-to engage upon therunning down of the clock with a circuitclosing spring, whereby saidcircuit may be first closed a suiiicient length of time to lock thesafe, broken during a fixed time thereafter, and again closed upon therunning down of said clock, substantially as and for the purposessetforth.

4. The combination, with an electro-magnetic permutation-lock, of atime-piece interposed within the electrical circuit, said timepiecebeing provided with a dial, a rotating hand having a spring, t2,thereon, a perforated metallic ring concentric with the axis of saidhand, connected with said circuit and insulated from said clockmechanism, and a removable switch-pin, t, whereby said clock may besetto run for a longer or shorter period of time, and said circuit(normally broken) may be momentarily closed to permit the locking ofsaid safe from without, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

FREDERICK SEDGWICK.

Vitnesses:

D. H. FLETCHER, CLARENCE B. STORY.

ICO

